Luck of the Draw
Absolutely finds out more about why the founder of Dress Cheshire in Prestbury often donates to charities and news on a very special raffle in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society.
After many years and thousands of pounds-worth of designer fashions donated to both local and national charities, Christine Colbert, owner of Dress Cheshire, the pre-loved designer fashions boutique in Prestbury, is about to make a huge donation to The Alzheimer’s Society, a charity that has become very close to her heart.
“In July of this year, my father passed away after living with the devastating progressive dementia, Alzheimer’s disease,” Christine explains. “Dementia is something people just don’t talk about, certainly not ‘advanced dementia’. Until someone and their family has lived through this stage of the disease, it generally goes unnoticed to the outside world. It can be a long and tortuous journey, and it’s not the same for any two people.
“My dad’s symptoms went on for years, eventually taking away his ability to walk and talk. He forgot who we were, save for the odd glimmer of a smile we got from time to time that always lifted our hearts… I left most care home visits with tears rolling down my cheeks while driving home.
“The Alzheimer’s Society had been so helpful to us during his, and our, long experience of the disease, and I decided that, in his honour, I wanted to raise a record amount of money for them. I had previously raised money for The Alzheimer’s Society by running races and asking for personal sponsorship, but I began to wonder how I could utilise the amazing community of followers on social media I have gained with Dress Cheshire and realised a brilliant way to do that was to offer a chance to win a beautiful designer handbag. I researched how to do this properly and discovered I needed a licence, and I am grateful to the lovely team at Cheshire East Council for fast-tracking this through for me.”
Initially, Christine estimated she might raise around £2,000 from the proceeds of the handbag raffle, which is being held over a three-month period, with raffle tickets costing just £25, for the chance to win a Chanel bag worth £4,000. Her estimations were soon to be met, then vastly exceeded.
“I was overwhelmed with the response and ticket sales rocketed within hours of launching it on social media with a ticket selling every six minutes,” Christine says. “So far we have raised over £10,000 for the charity in just three weeks. Now, I am estimating we shall make £15,000 for the charity by the close of the draw. It’s just the best feeling.”
Such has been the success of this, Christine will be donating a second bag for a second raffle now live with plenty of tickets for your chance to purchase and enter. It’s a more expensive bag valued at £5,400, perfect for the run-up to Christmas.
Christine has long donated to local charities, putting in place an arrangement with her sellers that should their items not sell within a pre-agreed period, they may be donated to charity. She explains: “The donation of high-end, high-quality designer fashions and accessories from some of the most recognised brands in the UK can be a huge boost to the sales income in charity shops, both in-store and online. Today’s shoppers are much more aware of the multitude of benefits of shopping for pre-loved clothes, whether this be in charity shops or boutiques such as my own. Not only can you refresh your wardrobe on a regular basis at far less than the cost of a high street shopping spree, but it’s a very sustainable attitude to fashion, saving perfectly wearable items from heading to landfill.
In the years since Christine opened her popular boutique, she has worked with many local charities, including East Cheshire Hospice, The Samaritans, Barnardo’s, Oxfam, Cheshire Without Abuse, Windways Animal Charity, and The Seashell Trust. “We have also given cash donations that we have collected in the shop to Caudwell Children. We raised enough money to fund a specialist cycle for a disabled child in Cheshire and we are really proud of that,” Christine adds.
Jess Mackenzie, Alzheimer’s Society Regional Fundraiser for Cheshire, says: “It’s wonderful that Christine is raffling this beautiful bag in memory of her Dad. Each hour, people generously give to fundraise for us, every pound they donate, they’re making a life-changing difference to people living with dementia. Alzheimer’s Society provides vital support to people living with dementia, funds groundbreaking research and campaigns to make dementia the priority it should be.”
Christine concludes: “Moving forward, now that we are licensed to sell tickets, we intend to support national charities through our raffles, and we will continue to donate unwanted designer items to our local charity shop partners.”
Find out how to enter at dresscheshire.com.
